1. Technical Field
This invention relates to retractable overhead tool supports, and more particularly to a low-drag overhead support for lightweight hand-held tools such as hairdryers. This invention further relates to a quick release electrical connector and a gimbal assembly for lightweight hand-held tools.
2. Background Information
In various industries, hand tools and other utilitarian devices are used by workers on a daily basis. Many of these devices are heavy, and require considerable arm strength to lift, hold in place, and maneuver. Weight compensating suspension devices may be desired to support relatively heavy objects from above, such as to support engine blocks and the like in automobile assembly lines. These devices enable the heavy objects to be conveniently moved to or along the production line, enabling workers to rotate them for convenient access, e.g., to attach components, or to lower them into position, such as into an engine compartment of an automobile. In order to support such heavy objects, these suspension devices may be fabricated from relatively heavy components to provide them with requisite structural integrity. These suspension devices, by virtue of their intended use and structural requirements, therefore tend to have relatively high inertial mass. Such devices also tend to exhibit relatively high frictional forces during use.
As mentioned above, the supported objects are themselves heavy and as such, are typically moved into desired position slowly, and once so positioned, e.g., at a desired elevation within an assembly line, or within an engine compartment of an automobile, are seldom moved elevationally again, if at all. Accordingly, for such applications, the mass, inertia, and friction of the suspension device is of little adverse affect.
However, such suspension devices are less than optimal for use with relatively lightweight objects, such as hairdryers and other hand tools, which have relatively low mass, and which are often moved rapidly between various elevations. For example, hair stylists use hand-held hair dryers, which often must be held for extended periods of time and maneuvered quickly and repetitively between various elevations, sometimes in tandem with a hairbrush while drying or styling.
Even when appropriately scaled down in size to compensate for the lighter weight of such objects, conventional suspension devices of the type described above have generally proven deficient in one or more respects. For example, such devices tend to either provide too much, or too little compensating (e.g., upward) force and the cords used to attach these devices to the supported object tend to bind during rapid elevational changes (i.e., during rapid raising and lowering). Furthermore, during such rapid elevational movement, such as during the hair styling/drying action described above, there may be a lag between raising the hairdryer, and the corresponding retraction of the cord. This lag may result in the cord becoming alternately loose, and then taut, to provide non-uniform tool support which may be disruptive to the user. Moreover, the momentary lag may result in a subsequent retraction at an excessive rate of speed, as the device attempts to reel in ‘slack’ in the cord. Alternatively, the device may attempt to retract the cord even as the user attempts to lower the object, which may be further disruptive, and may place undue stress on the user's wrist and on various components of the suspension device, etc. This uneven application of force generated by such a lag may also result in components of the device disadvantageously cocking or jamming.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved suspension apparatus for lightweight objects such as hairdryers and other hand tools, which renders them apparently or virtually weightless, while enabling them to be frequently and quickly moved between various elevations while also providing lateral freedom of movement. In certain applications it is also desirable to provide such suspension apparatuses with an electrical connector to ensure a stable power supply to the hand tool, as well as to provide quick and easy connection and disconnection of power to the tool. In other applications it is further desirable to provide such suspension apparatuses with a gimbal assembly to provide additional degrees of freedom of motion to the tool.